The father of a nine-year-old girl who had her mobile phone stolen from her hospital room where she is receiving cancer treatment has withdrawn her from the hospital for her own "safety".

Chloe Challoner has been treated for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth since last September but on March 2, her Sony Walkman mobile phone, containing photos with great sentimental value for her and described as her "lifeline" to the outside world, was stolen from her private room.

Her father, Jamie Giblen, 31, of Havant, was so concerned by the theft that he has decided to restrict his daughter's care to Southampton General Hospital where she has also been receiving treatment.

Mr Giblen, an IT specialist, explained that the phone contained photos of Chloe with her sister: "The worst thing is that whoever stole the phone would have known it was a children's ward and they knew full well they were taking it from a sick child.

"This phone is of no significant value in money terms, but to my daughter and our family it has huge sentimental value. It is also the only way we keep in touch with our daughter when we can't be with her at her bedside. I just cannot believe how someone could do this under the circumstances."

Mr Giblen said that Chloe was due to be returned to the Queen Alexandra Hospital this week from Southampton General but he had refused to allow her back.

He said: "She's my first-born and I want to make sure she's safe, so that's why I've moved her to Southampton. I don't want her staying in QA until they find out who did this."

Mr Giblen said that he sent a text message to the phone asking for it to be returned and received a reply saying "ok" but nothing happened.

A Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust spokeswoman said: "Patients' care, their experience and their safety are and have always been the highest priorities for the trust and we are disappointed that a mobile phone has been stolen from within our paediatric unit. This is fortunately a rare occurrence and we are working closely with the police, supporting their investigation.

"We recognise the dissatisfaction of the patient's family in this instance, but we continue to reassure that our paediatric unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital is safeguarded by an authorised only security entrance which is regularly patrolled by our on-site security teams. We would appeal to anyone with information about this incident to contact the police."